PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED NATIONAL EFFORT
TO IMPROVE OUR NATION'S SCHOOLS BY DRAMATICALLY
INCREASING ACCOUNTABILITY AND INVESTMENT
January 27, 2000

In his State of the Union Address, President Clinton will announce an
unprecedented national effort to demand more from our schools and to
invest more in them. The President will propose: 1) the largest-ever
expansion of after-school and summer school programs, to ensure that
every child in every failing school can get extra help to meet high
standards; 2) the largest increase in Head Start in history, to build
the foundation for our long-term goal of universal pre-school; 3) a
dramatic increase in accountability in public schools by doubling
funding to turn around low-performing schools and rewarding states that
improve academic achievement; 4) a new teacher quality initiative to
help states and districts recruit, train, and reward good teachers; and
5) a substantial increase in class size funding to put us nearly half
way to our goal of hiring 100,000 new high-quality teachers.

DOUBLING AFTER-SCHOOL TO HELP EVERY CHILD IN EVERY FAILING SCHOOL MEET
HIGH STANDARDS. The President will urge Congress to invest $1 billion
to expand after-school and summer school for students across the nation
-- more than double the $453 million enacted last year, and the largest
expansion ever proposed. With this increase, we can help every child in
every failing school participate in quality extended learning programs
and work toward higher academic standards. Studies have shown that
extended learning programs such as after-school and summer school help
improve student achievement in reading and math, as well as increase
student safety and reduce juvenile crime. Under the President's
proposal, the number of children served will triple from 850,000 to 2.5
million children.

LARGEST HEAD START EXPANSION IN HISTORY. The President will call on
Congress to increase funding for Head Start by $1 billion -- the largest
funding increase ever proposed for the program -- to provide Head Start
and Early Head Start to approximately 950,000 children. This funding
will bring within reach the President's goal of serving one million
children in 2002 and builds the foundation for the long-term goal of
universal pre-school. Head Start prepares low-income children for a
lifetime of learning and development by providing early, rigorous and
comprehensive child development. Early Head Start, created by the
Clinton-Gore Administration in 1994, brings these services to families
with children ages zero to three and to pregnant women. Since 1993,
this Administration has already increased funding for Head Start by 90
percent. The President will also propose a $600 million Early Learning
Fund to improve child care quality and early childhood education for
children under five.

DOUBLING FUNDS TO TURN AROUND FAILING SCHOOLS AND GIVING STATES A NEW
HIGH-PERFORMANCE BONUS. In last year's State of the Union the President
proposed the first-ever national initiative to hold schools accountable
for results by turning around or closing failing schools. In November,
the Congress dedicated $134 million to the President's accountability
fund. The President will call on Congress to nearly double this fund to
$250 million to turn around failing schools. The President also will
propose a $50 million initiative to provide high-performance bonuses to
states that make exemplary progress in improving student performance and
closing the achievement gap between high and low performing groups of
students. States would be eligible for bonuses based on substantial
overall improvements in student performance and significant narrowing of
the achievement gap as indicated by performance on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

A NEW TEACHER QUALITY PLAN TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND REWARD GOOD TEACHERS.
The President will propose a new $1 billion initiative to improve
teacher quality. The Teaching to High Standards Initiative will give
grants to states and districts to fund high quality, standards-based
professional development for teachers. It also includes several new
proposals:

Higher Standards-Higher Pay for Teachers -- This $50 million
initiative will award grants to high-poverty school districts to help
them attract and retain high-quality teachers through better pay and
higher standards. Participating teachers would receive immediate pay
increases and additional raises based on their demonstration of
high-quality teaching through rigorous peer review.

Teacher Quality Rewards -- This $50 million program will reward
school districts that have made exceptional progress in reducing the
number of uncertified teachers and teachers teaching outside their
subject area. The President has proposed requiring states to ensure
that 95 percent of teachers are certified and 95 percent of secondary
teachers are teaching within their field by 2004.

Hometown Teacher Recruitment -- This $75 million initiative will
empower high-poverty school districts to develop programs to recruit
homegrown teachers to address the shortage of qualified teachers.
Programs supported by this grant would make students aware, as early as
middle school, of the opportunities available in the teaching
profession; provide mentoring and teaching experiences as they progress
through school; and provide financial assistance for students who enter
college and pursue academic degrees with the goal of teaching in
high-need communities after graduation.

Transition to Teaching -- This $25 million initiative will build on
the success of the Department of Defense's Troops to Teachers program by
recruiting and preparing talented mid-career professionals from diverse
fields to become teachers in high-need subject areas and high-need
schools.

School Leaders Initiative -- This $40 million program will fund
non-profit partnerships designed to recruit, prepare and provide
professional development for superintendents and principals, and other
school leaders.

MORE HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS FOR SMALLER CLASS SIZES IN THE EARLY GRADES.
The President will call on Congress to renew its commitment to reduce
class size by staying on a path to hiring 100,000 high quality teachers.
The President will propose boosting class size funding to $1.75 billion,
an increase of $450 million over current levels -- enough to fund about
49,000 teachers, nearly half way to our long-term goal. Smaller classes
allow teachers to spend more time on instruction and less time on
discipline, and provide more individualized attention. Research shows
that students attending small classes in the early grades make more
rapid educational progress than students in larger classes. New
teachers hired under this program must be qualified and know the
subjects they are teaching.